Winter, Weather, and the Boulder Batholith

With the first snow fallen, many folks are switching gears, getting ready to slide on snow and slice the ice...which is great, but that doesn't mean that the bouldering season is over in Montana...in many zones in the Eastern Boulder Batholith, the temperatures are just getting good.



Last season was a bit tough on weather...the El Nino weather patterns pushed the systems in from the south rather than the west...this made the snow levels higher than I have seen in the last 4 winters out there.

To get a decent idea of the weather, I usually look at a couple sources.

-I check the weather conditions in WHITEHALL, not Butte.

-If I am unsure the current snow levels, I sometimes like to call the Town Pump there and see what the weather is doing.

-The MDOT Homestake Pass Cam....which has been ripped out now twice in the last year...it was nice to be able to loop the imagery and get an idea of up top, but most of the time it just looks cold up there, which is can be...it's 1300' higher in elevation than the Desert...but the weather station up top is still active, and able to give you an idea of what the temps and precipitation has been like.

here's a quick overview:

When you go to the "Homestake Webcam" link in the right sidebar you arrive at this page:


Click the "Atmospheric History" link on the bottom left

This page gives you current conditions for the top of the pass, though I find the graph is an easier way to look back at the last couple days


Click the "Surface History Graph" link

This is the 48 hour history that I just generated...got up to 50 on top today. The green indicated recorded precipitation.



Today's weather in Whitehall:


The outlook for Whitehall:



Looks like it should be a good one...Planning on heading out for Saturday would be a good choice, but I wouldn't rule out Sunday...


Whatever it is you choose to do though, enjoy. Fill your cup and drink up life.

Cheers,
Tom

Back in the Trailer Boulders

The last two Saturdays, I've been back in the Trailer Boulders...tucked back off of some ATV trails, this zone continues to grow...

Yesterday after a decent morning session, we went for a walkabout in the light afternoon showers...just minutes below The Aristocrat there is another large section of boulders, they continue southeast and link all the way over to what was once referred to as 'Moderate Mecca'...an area briefly explored about 5 years ago...from there a small single track trail links up back to the east side of the Trailer boulders. The proximity is very close, and should add alot to the zone...

A few problems from the Trailer Boulders



Cheers!

Crack training day

Dick Cilley returned to the Batholith for another sojourn, and I teamed up with him on a crisp and clear Autumn day to take on some pebble cracks.

Some pics:

Super Saucer walkaround

I was pleasantly surprised when Mountain Dad called and said that he and his family were in Butte for a two day stop-over. He has been curious what lay in the 'Lith, and we were fortunate to have a bluebird day in which to romp amongst the klettergarten (the Northern Bourbons).


Ladd was allowed to skip school so that Freney and Elias had a fellow micro to boulder with...





I pulled off this face/arete send, which thwarted my long ago crag partner...





His Norweigen family highly enjoyed the holdings of the Northern Bourbons, their time in Butte, and looking forward to their next visit.


We even bumped into some other visitin' folk--Rick and Cameron from Philipsburg:-)

Wide Weekend

On Saturday, the brotherman made the drive over from ID to meet me in Butte and attack some new OWs we've discovered over the summer...

First off was a tour of the established routes in the Hideout Ridge area and bring him to this overhanging OW/squeeze thing I scoped a few weeks back. After a brief warmup we dug in and Pat onsighted the rig! Pretty rad and very 'blue collar'...the unprotected crux is wild: sideways chicken wings/side winding to get up into the squeeze. Proud.



After the grueling session, we went for a short walk about and headed back to the trailer...but not before finding another few crazy looking problems...one thing looks like taxman but twice or three times the size and at a 45 instead on horizontal...crazy!


Taxman in Ved

The following day we headed back out to the Blue-bro proj area...but not after a bit of scoping and coffee.


"Dude..."

At the blue-bro area I jumped on a route that now is 'my project'...heh. A pivot in the sky...climbing strange jumbles to reach a pair of cheeks 25' up...quite the pivot up there! Felt good, I almost have it worked out...falling at the anchors...taking inverted falls is kinda interesting!


Cheeks in the Sky

We then put in a session on the blue-bro project...still waiting for a send, but Pat was super close!..Hutch put in some TR anchors and would make for great training! Hoping to get out that way again before the snow takes over the CDT...

Overall a great weekend, and super fun to be climbing with the brother again!


On a side note, I entered a t-shirt design contest over at Northern Lights(a local gear shop)....do me a favor: follow the link and vote?


http://northernlightstrading.blogspot.com/p/t-shirt-designs.html


This was my design...A favorite tower out in the Humbugs...

Thanks!
and
Cheers!

Tom

Venus Alley - Hideout Ridge

Just got a couple pics emailed to me from Cole from last weekend's excursion...another great day up on the Hideout Ridge...the route count jumped from 8 to 16...with lots more to climb...and lots more pins to explore...heading out for the weekend with the brotherman to try and get a better handle on the area...and jump on a couple horrow-show OWs that I've scoped over the past couple times out there...stay tuned, I might be updating from the field...




Midway up on the FA of Venus Alley...Trevor airing it out on the arete...





Hope all y'all are able to get out and enjoy this weekend!

Cheers!